Daddy Dearest
by 7Seven7
Summary: While the team is on the run, Parker gets a surprise visit from a man claiming to be her father. Hardison is suspicious. Will she let him in? Has he really changed? Does he really want to get to know his daughter, or is he looking for something else? T for mentions of child abuse
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I'd like to thank yello13 for the idea, hope you all enjoy! _**PLEASE REVIEWW! **_ The beginning's a little awkward, but this si short so I should update again today

"Hey," Eliot said as he entered Nate's apartment, "What's everyone watchin'?"

The other four members of the leverage team were intently starring at the television screen before them.

"We made headlines!" Parker said enthusiastically.

"Parker, this isn't a good thing" Sophie complained.

"So what?" Eliot asked, "Our heists are usually on the news, CEO's going down for fraud is kind of a bug deal"

"No, _we're_ on the news," Parker corrected, "Look!" Parker pointed to the television, which was currently showing security camera images of Sophie, Parker, Eliot, and Nate. Hardison, having never left Lucille during the last con, was not featured.

"Turn it up" Eliot ordered. Hardison grabbed the remote and turned the volume on the television up so they could all hear.

"…The suspects are believed to be a very meticulous group. Sophie Devereaux is wanted in several Eastern European nations for everything from grand theft, trespassing, and even treason. The young blonde women known is known as Parker, though it is unclear whether that is her first or last name, is wanted in an impressive 23 nations for mostly burglary. Eliot Spencer, former army lieutenant, is also wanted in several countries and is considered extremely violent and dangerous. Nathan Ford is a former employee of IYS insurance. he is currently under investigation by the United States government, but no charges have been filed. If you see any of these people or have any information about their whereabouts, please contact your local authorities but do not approach, they are currently considered very volatile".

"Ok, we're going to have to lay low for a little while. We need to move, and quick. No cons for a while. I'm thinking Chicago?" Nate offered

"No!" Parker replied a little too quickly. The rest of the team suspiciously eyed her. "I mean I, uh, I don't like Chicago, okay!"

"Parker, it's only temporary, until we can get the Feds off our backs. I have a safe house there we can use. I promise it'll be fine" Sophie assured. Parker reluctantly agreed, and the team was on their way shortly.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hi! Long time no write…I'm sorry, I abandoned you Please Review!:D I know it's short, but I needed to end it with a cliff hanger, since I'm evil;) I'll try to have an update by tomorrow!

Dedicated to Yello13, because I've abandoned not only my love of Leverage and this fanfiction for so long, but also your messages. She's really grown as a writer, her stories are sounding so much more mature than her earlier works, go check them out!:)

The team had been comfortably settled into Chicago for a few weeks, and while the rest of the team was beginning to memorize these city streets, Parker already knew them- she had grown up on them. Each one secretly brought back fond memories of her early days of thieving; the first pocket she had ever picked, the first building she had ever scaled, the first vents she had ever climbed through.

On this particular evening, Parker was in a mad dash to get to the nearest convenience store. Somehow, Eliot had forgotten to buy cereal while he was grocery shopping. Then he even had the nerve to suggest Parker eat "real food" for dinner until he had a chance to purchase the sugary substance that accounted for the majority of her diet.

Parker was fuming.

The voice of an unknown man shook her from her thoughts.

"My God, you look just like her" He said, grabbing Parker's arm and immediately setting off warning bells in her head.

_He knows. He saw me on the news and he knows. _

"I don't know what you're talking about" Parker replied quickly, trying to break away from the man.

"Your mother" he said as she began to walk away. "I told her to leave him, you know. But she was always too afraid"

That gained her attention.

"Who are you?" She demanded.

He smiled gently, as if he had been waiting for this question just so he could finally give his long rehearsed answer:

"I'm your father".


	3. Chapter 3

"_Who are you?" She demanded. _

_He smiled gently, as if he had been waiting for this question just so he could finally give his long rehearsed answer:_

"_I'm your father". _

"No you're not" Parker shot back immediately. That man haunted too many of her memories for her to not remember his face. "He died in an explosion, over twenty years ago"

"For that, I'm glad. The things he did to your mother… he deserved that. Poor Mary, she didn't, though. They never did find the bomber, did they?"

"Yes, she did deserve that" Parker reciprocated, "And they'll never find the bomber, she's _far_ too elusive" She added with a slight smirk.

"You _didn't_" He gaped in disbelief. Looking into her eyes, he could tell Parker was not kidding around. "Well, I guess you're not much like her after all. Mary never would have had the nerve to do something like that. Poor girl couldn't even muster up the courage to tell him that the baby wasn't his"

"What?" Parker asked, confused. She didn't know of any babies her mother had had, besides herself. How did this man know her mother, anyway?

"Mary and I, we grew up together. The best of friends. I never liked him much, Bill. I told her he was no good, but she was young and care free and didn't think anything could ever hurt her. That was, until she started showing up at my place with all sorts of bruises. I'd give her a place to stay for the night, talk her through it, but she'd always go back to him the next day, back to an even worse beating. One night she came over, told me she'd finally left him, for good. She told me she loved me, and well…that was the night we made you" He said, looking at Parker lovingly.

The thought disgusted her.

"But she went back to him, just like always. She told him the baby was his, told me the baby was his. But I knew. I tried to get her to admit it, that it was my baby. I wanted to raise you, I really did. Wanted to protect you from him, and all the men like him. I even tried getting custody of you after they died, but you'd vanished. A runaway, they told me. Then I saw on the news, this mischievous woman with her mama's eyes, and I knew…"

Parker couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her mind was running on overdrive. He knew she was about to run for it.

"I can understand that this must all be very confusing. Here, take my card. Call me when you're ready. All I want is a chance to get to know you" He begged, handing her the card. She took it, her gaze distant, and without another word, ran. She ran far, she ran fast. She ran away. Just like she always does, just like her mother never would.

She arrived a few minutes later at the place her mind, on autopilot, had taken her. The only place she knew to be safe.

"All that complaining and still no cereal?" Eliot asked upon seeing Parker enter the building the team was temporarily living out of.

"What?" Parker asked, being shook from her thoughts.

"You made that whole big deal about me not buying cereal and ran out in the middle of dinner to go get some, then you come back twenty minutes later without any cereal"

"Oh yeah. I forgot" Parker responded.

"Forgot? How did you forget?" Eliot asked, astounded that Parker had completely forgotten the purpose of her journey.

Parker shrugged and walked upstairs, lost in thought.

"I'm going to go talk to her" Sophie announced. "She's acting odd, and not her usual kind of odd"

"Let me" Hardison offered. He knew Sophie was always good at talking Parker through things, but he felt as her boyfriend he should get use to helping her through tough times. Sophie didn't object as Hardison disappeared up the stairs after the thief.


End file.
